Kelly Hatley, manager of volunteers and James Baker, director of plant operations, enjoy the special-occasion cupcakes on Feb. 25. Madison Hospital played host to a few dozen workers who opted to quarter in the facility the night of Feb. 25 instead of chance the treacherous roads. (Contributed)

By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer

MADISON – In recognition of Madison Hospital’s third year in business, the facility’s staff was treated on Feb. 25 to green-and-white frosted cupcakes – colors of the Huntsville Hospital system, of which Madison Hospital is part – and Domino’s Pizza.

That is the part that went according to plan.

The weather outlook for the Madison area predicted snow to start falling by 11 a.m. on Wednesday; however, the first flakes started falling in the area just before 3 p.m.

The snow fell at around a rate of one inch per hour; reports varied from around the City, with reports of seven inches in southeast Madison to 8.5 inches in the northeast section of the City.

With the winter storm’s late arrival in Madison and the unexpectedly high snowfall totals, Madison Hospital President Mary Lynne Wright estimated “at least 50-60 employees” opted to stay overnight in the Hospital.

“I have employees that drive from Florence, Decatur, Grant, (Ala.) Tennessee,” Wright said. “Out of concern for their safety, we wanted them to stay.”

Employees passed the time, Wright said, by playing board games and gorging on ice cream from the emergency room – leaving plenty left for the patients, of course.

“Some made snowmen and just enjoyed the weather,” Wright said. “We don’t get this kind of weather a lot here, so we were glad for them to be able to enjoy that.”

It’s the work hard, play hard attitude displayed by the staff, Wright said, that has contributed to the success of the facility going into its third year after opening on Feb. 28, 2012.

“The best thing is the employees here – they understand it,” Wright said. “We have to take care of patients, and they all did it with great attitudes.”

Wright outlined a few upticks in service areas. The Hospital saw over 1,000 more patients in January 2015 as compared to January 2014. Around 600 pediatric patients are cared for per month, and the number of babies delivered per month now stands close to 75 in infants.

“It has flown by,” Wright said. “I was telling somebody the other day, ‘We’re going to blink our eyes again and it’ll be our fifth year.”